A Proper New Ballad of Bold Robin Hood.
Shewing his B irth, his B reeding his Valour and Marriage, at Titbery B ull-Running: Calculated
for the Meridian of Stafford-shire, but may serve for Derby-shire or Kent.
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K Ind Gentlemen, will you be patient a while,
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I, and then you shall hear anon,
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A very good Ballad of bold Robin H ood
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and of his Man brave little John.
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In Locksly Town in merry Nottinghamshire,
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in merry sweet Locksly Town;
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There bold Robin H ood he was born & was bred,
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bold Robin of famous renown.
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The father of Robin a forrester was,
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and he shot in a lusty long bow,
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Two North-Country miles and an inch at a shot
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as the Pinder of Wakefield does know.
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For he brought Adam B ell, and Clim of the C lugh,
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with William a Clowdel lee:
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To shoot with our forrester for forty mark,
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and the forrester beat 'um all three.
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His mother was Neece to the Coventry Knight,
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which Warwickshire men call Sir Guy;
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For he slew the blew bore that hangs up at that gate,
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or mine Host of the Bull tells a lye.
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Her Brother was Gamwel of great Gamwel- Hall,
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and a noble House-keeper was he,
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Ay as ever broke Bread in sweet Nottinghamshire,
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and a Squire of a famous degree.
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This mother of Robin said to her Husband,
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my Honey, my Love and my Dear;
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Let Robin and I ride this morning to Gamwel,
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to taste of my Brothers good Cheer.
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And he said, I grant thee thy boon gentle Joan,
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take one of my Horses I pray:
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[The Sun is a rising, and therefore make haste,
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for to morrow is Christmas-day. ]
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Then Robin H oods fathers gray Gelding was brought
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and Saddled and Bridled was he,
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God-wot his blew Bonnet, his new suit of cloaths
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and a Cloak that did reach to his knee.
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She got on her Holy-day Kirtle and Gown,
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they were of a light Lincoln green:
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The cloth was home spun, but for colour & make
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it might a beseem'd our Queen.
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And then Robin got on his Basket-hilt Sword,
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and Dagger on his tother side:
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And said my dear Mother lets haste to be gone,
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we have forty long miles to ride.
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When Robin had mounted this Gelding so gray,
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his father without any trouble;
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Set her up behind him, and bad her not fear,
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for his Gelding has oft carried double.
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When she was seated, they rode to their neighbours
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and drank and shook hands with them all:
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And then Robin gallopt and never gave o're
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till they lighted at great Gamwel-H all.
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And now you may think the right worshipful Squire
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was joyful his Sister to see;
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For he kist her & kist her, & swore a great Oath,
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thou art welcome kind Sister to me.
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To morrow when Mass had been said in the Chap-pel
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six tables were cover'd in the Hall;
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And in comes the Squire and makes a short speech
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it was, Neighbours you're Welcome all .
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But not a Man here shall taste my March-beer
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till a Christmass-Carrol be sung;
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Then all clapt their Hands & they shouted & sung
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till the Hall and the Parlor did ring.
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Now Mustard & Braun, Roast-Beef & Plumb-pies,
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were set upon every table:
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And noble George Gamwel said eat & be merry
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and Drink to as long as y'are able.
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When Dinner was ended his Chaplain said grace,
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and be merry my friends says the Squire,
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It rains & it blows but call for more ale,
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and lay some more Wood on the fire.
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And now call ye little John hither to me
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for little John is a fine Lad;
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At Gambols & Jugling & twenty such tricks,
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as shall make you both merry & glad.
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When little John came to Gambols they went,
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both Gentlemen, Yeoman & Clown;
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And what do you think? Why as true as I live
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bold Robin H ood put them all down.
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And now you may think the right worshipful squire
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was joyful this sight for to see;
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For he said Cousin Robin thou'st go no more home
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but tarry & dwell here with me.
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Thou shalt have my Land when I dye, & till then
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thou shalt be the staff of my Age:
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[Then grant me my boon dear Uncle, said Robin
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that Little John my be my Page.]
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And he said kind Couzen I grant me thy boon,
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with all my heart so let it be,
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Then come hither little John, said Robin H ood,
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come hither my Page unto me.
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Go and fetch my bow my longest long bow,
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and broad Arrows one two & three;
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For when 'tis fair Weather we'll into Sherwood
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some merry pastime to see.
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When Robin H ood came into merry Sherwood
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he winded his bugle so clear;
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And twice five & twenty good Yeoman & bold,
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before Robin H ood did appear.
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Where are your Companions all? (said R.Hood )
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for still I want forty and three:
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Then said a bold Yeoman, lo yonder they stand,
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all under a green wood tree.
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As that word was spoken Clorinda came by,
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the Queen of the Shepherds was she:
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And her Gown was of Velvet as green as the grass
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and her Buskins did reach to her knee.
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Her gate it was graceful, her Body was straight,
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and her Countenance free from Pride:
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A Bow in her Hand and Quiver of Arrows,
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hung dangling by her sweet side.
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Her Eye-brows were black, I, and so was her hair
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and her skin was as smooth as glass;
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Her Visage spoke wisdom and modesty too,
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sets with Robin Hood such a Lass.
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Said Robin Hood, Lady fair whither away;
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Oh whither fair Lady away?
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And she made him answer to kill a fat Buck,
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for to morrow is Tilbury day.
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Said Robin Hood, Lady fair, wander with me,
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a little to yonder green Bower:
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There sit down to rest you; and you shall be sure
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of a Brace or a Leafe in an hour.
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And as we ware going towards the green Bower,
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two hundred good Bucks we espy'd:
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She chose out the fattest that was in the herd,
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and she shot him through side & side.
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By the faith of my body, said bold Robin H ood ,
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I never saw Woman like thee:
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And com'st thou from East, I or com'st thou from West
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thou needst not beg Venison of me.
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However along to my Bower you shall go,
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and taste of a Forresters Meat,
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And when we came thither we found as good cheer,
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as any man needs for to eat.
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For there was hot Venisen, & Warden-pies cold,
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Cream clouted wieh Honey Combs plenty.
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And the Servitors they were beside little John
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good Yeomen at least four & twenty.
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Clorinda said tell me your name gentle Sir?
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and he said 'tis bold Robin H ood ,
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Squire Gamwel's mine Uncle, but all my delight
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is to dwell in the merry Sherwood.
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For 'tis a fine life, & 'tis void of all strife,
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so 'tis Sir, Clorinda reply'd:
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But Oh said bold Robin how sweet would it be,
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if Clorinda wou'd be my Bride?
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[She blusht at the motion yet after a pause,
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said, Yes Sir, and withal my heart],
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Then let us send for a Priest said Robin H ood,
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and be merry before we do part.
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But she said It may not be so gentle Sir,
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for I must be at Tilbury feast:
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And if Robin H ood will go thither with me,
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I'll make him the most welcome Guest.
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Said Robin H ood, reach me that Buck little John
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for i'le go along with my Dear;
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Go bid my good Yeomen kill six brace of bucks,
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and meet me to morrow just here.
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Before we had Ridden five Staffords hire miles,
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eight Yeomen that were too too bold,
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Bid Robin Hood Stand and deliver his Buck,
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a truer Tale never was told,
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I will not faith, said bold Robin, come John,
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stand to me and we'l beat 'um all;
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Then both drew thier Swords and so cut 'um & slasht 'um,
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that five of the eight did fall.
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The three that remain'd call'd to Robin for quarter,
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and pittiful John begg'd their Lives;
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When Johns boon was granted, he gave them good counsel,
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and so sent them home to their Wives.
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This Battle was fought near to Titbury Town,
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when the Bagpipes bathed the Bull:
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I am King of the Fidlers, and sware 'tis a truth,
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and I call him that doubts it a Gull.
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For I saw them fighting, and fidl'd the while,
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and Clorinda sung, Hey derry down:
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The Bumpkins are beaten put up thy Sword Bob,
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and now lets dance into the Town.
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Before we came to it, we heard a strange shouting
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and all that were in it look'd madly;
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For some ware a Bull-back, some dancing a Morris,
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and some singing Arthur-a-B radley.
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And there we see Thomas oer Justices Clerk,
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and Mary to whom he was kind:
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For Tom rode before her and call'd Mary Madam,
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and kist her full sweetly behind.
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And so may your Worships, but we went to dinner,
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with Thomas , and Mary , and Nan :
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They all drank a health to Clorinda, and told her,
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bold Robin Hood was a fine Man.
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When Dinner was ended Sir Roger the Parson
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of Dubbridge, was sent for in haste;
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He brought his Mass-Book, and he had them take hands
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and he joyn'd them in Marriage full fast.
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And then as bold Robin Hood, and his sweet Bride
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went hand in hand to the green Bower;
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The birds sung with pleasure in merry Sherwood,
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and 'twas a most joyful hour.
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And when Robin came in the sight of his Bower,
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where are my Yeomen, said he,
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And little John answered, lo yonder they stand,
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all under a Green-wood Tree.
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Then a Garland they brought her by two & by two
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and plac'd them upon the B rides bed:
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The Musick struck up, and we all fell to dance,
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till the B ride and the Groom were a bed.
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And what they did there must be counsel to me,
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because they lay long the next day.
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[And] I had hast home, but I got a good piece,
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of the Bride-Cake, and so came away.
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Now out alass, I had forgotten to tell ye,
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that marry'd they were with a King,
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And so will Nan Knight, or be buried a maiden,
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and now let us pray for the King.
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That he may get Children, and they may get more,
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to govern and do us some good:
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And then I'll make Ballads in R. Hoods Bower,
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and sing 'um in merry Sherwood.
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